All's Fair in Love and War
by Faythe Marie
Summary: A prank goes awfully awry for James and Sirius. Instead of Snape making a fool of himself in front of Lily, he ends up finding the courage to take the chance he's always wanted to. Set in the days of the Marauders. Please read and review. LEJP, LESS
1. Lily's Wrath

**_ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR_**

_**DISCLAIMER:**_ Not a single thing (except the plot) belongs to me.

**_A/N:_** Does this fic look familiar? I posted it under the penname Bressa W., but never had the opportunity to finish it. Now, here it is, with mild revisions based on previous reviews and every chapter included. Don't go turning me in for stealing my own work, I've given myself permission. If you're reading this for the first time, then, welcome! to the sad insanity of my delusional brain. Enjoy.

**CHAPTER ONE**

_Lily's Wrath_

"Ha! I beat you!" Sirius exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air triumphantly. "That's three times in a row, mate. I think you might want to stop now," he advised the skinny, raven-haired teen sitting across from him.

James smirked. "You know, Sirius, it's amazing what your memory retains, because as I recall, I beat you five times straight earlier today."

"Really?" Sirius asked airily and with feigned surprise. "I don't remember. . ." He shrugged. "I'm still sexier than you."

"Are not!"

"Am too!"

"Are not!"

"Am too!" To prove his point, Sirius drew his wand and pointed it at his friend. "I challenge thee to a duel."

James drew his own wand and assumed a defensive stance. "On guard."

The next five minutes were a noisy affair of cheap shots and amazing defenses for both sides, until Lily Evans ran down the staircase leading to the girl's dormitories. Lily was clothed only in her dressing gown, her fiery hair mussed with sleep, and her emerald eyes narrowed in anger.

"The entire tower is trying to sleep and you two are down here dueling? For heaven's sake, you're sixth year students! Don't you think you should try to set a better example? Aren't you best friends with a Gryffindor prefect? Merlin, why does Remus put up with you two? Didn't you learn anything from him at all?" shrieked the enraged redhead.

"Because we're so damn loveable," Sirius said, sticking his lip out in a pout and giving her puppy eyes. Ironically, he'd become quite good at that since they had adapted their animagus forms.

James stowed his wand away calmly, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "No, we really haven't learned anything from our good friend." He began cleaning the cards and other messes from their duel and the game of exploding snap that had proceeded it. "All you had to say was 'stop' Evans, there was no need to be so haughty."

"Honestly," Sirius agreed, easing himself into one of the many squashy armchairs that were strewn around the circular room, "I will say this though, we've learned loads from Lupin that we'd never have known otherwise. It's not fair to say we haven't learned anything."

"Oh really?" Lily retorted, appearing even more annoyed (if that was possible). "Care to share?"

James and Sirius seemed to be immersed in intense thought, scratching their chins and taking on a pensive expression. Finally, James replied, "Without him, we'd never know the password to the prefect's bathroom."

"Yes, indeed, Prongs," Sirius added, "and everyone knows how much nicer it is in there."

Lily's face turned an interesting shade of crimson that bordered on a certain violet, and she made sputtering noises. Collecting herself, she spat, "You boys are idiots." And she turned tail, heading back up the staircase.

"You know what, Prongs?" Sirius said in a tone of mock-seriousness. "I think she likes you."

James threw a pillow at his friend's head, and the duel resumed.


	2. James' Mistake

**CHAPTER TWO**

_James' Mistake_

"So, Lily chewed you out last night?" Remus asked bemusedly. Sirius and James had just been regaling him on the previous evening's escapades.

"Yeah! And we weren't even doing anything!" Sirius exclaimed indignantly.

"Life isn't fair sometimes, is it?" Remus joked, patting his friend's arm sympathetically.

"Whatever," James muttered. His mind was on the night before, too, but his feelings on it were mixed. Did this mean that Lily really didn't want anything to do with him?

"Too bad about Wormtail, eh?" Sirius mentioned, changing the subject.

"Yeah. . ." James sighed, not really paying attention. "Wait. What?"

Remus sighed. "You have to stop skiving off potions, mate. Wormtail accidentally dumped an entire cauldron of Irritation Solution all over himself."

"Broke out in boils about as big as your hand," added Sirius. "They took him to the hospital wing."

"Poor bloke," James said distractedly. He shook his head. "Here she comes. Look!"

Lily was, indeed, walking towards them. She seemed confused about something, and almost turned around before thinking better of it. "Umm. . .James? Can we talk? Maybe. . .go for a walk?"

"Whatever you want, Evans," James replied, cool and collected once again. He stood up and followed her out of the portrait hole.

"Good luck, Potter!" Sirius shouted after him. James smiled. He wouldn't need it.

For a while they walked in silence. James concentrated on keeping his calm, disaffected grin. Lily was wringing her hands. "What's wrong?" James asked her, eventually giving in to his curiosity.

"Nothing," she replied, a little too quickly to be honest.

James cocked an eyebrow and halted their slow progress down the hall. "Really?" Lily nodded enthusiastically, and he began walking again, chuckling. "Sounds like something to me." Habitually, he ruffled his hair.

"Why do you do that?" Lily asked him suddenly.

"Do what?"

She waved her hand in some unknown gesture. "Fiddle with your hair; make it messier. What's the point?"

This was a touchy subject to James, because, in all honesty, he did it to impress her. Smoothly, he concocted a lie. "Dunno. I've done it since I was a kid." Once again they fell into an uneasy silence. James coughed.

"Cover your mouth!" scolded a portrait of a rather dowdy witch carrying a fat baby.

"Sorry," James replied, but the irritation of the obscure portrait put a grin back on his face. Sneaking a glance at Lily, he saw that she was smiling, too.


	3. Sirius' Prank

**CHAPTER THREE**

_Sirius' Prank_

"Why are the first years so tiny?" Sirius asked James. "I swear, I was never that small."

They were sitting against an oak tree that had to have been as old as Hogwarts, relaxing and being thoroughly bored.

"Yes, you were," James replied. He pulled the poor, battered Snitch he'd stolen the year before out of his pocket, releasing and catching it. "You were almost as small as Wormtail, he just stopped growing."

"Hey! I'm right here!" poor Peter piped up.

James grinned. "Yeah, I know."

Across the lake, Severus Snape was muttering darkly under his breath, wandering here and there across a small patch of unoccupied grass. Ocassionally, he shot a look over at the Marauders, but his eyes mainly stayed fixed on Lily Evans, who was relaxing with her friends. James sat up suddenly, stowing the Snitch back in his pocket.

"Look! Look at Snape!" he shouted suddenly. Snape was now staring intently at the oblivious Lily and still muttering.

"He's cursing her!" Sirius exclaimed, but James didn't hear him. He was halfway around the lake already, his wand out and his face set to grim.

"Stupefy!" he shouted, and a blast of red light shot from his wand, hitting Snape squarely in the chest. James jogged the rest of the way around the lake.

A large crowd was milling around Snape's innate body by the time James made it to his side. "Ennervate," he muttered, rather reluctantly.

Snape looked up and around at all the people staring down at him. "What is this?" he spat, keeping his eye fixed on James. "What did you do?"

"I could ask you the same question," James snarled. Most of the crowd had dispersed by now, but about five curious first-years were still gazing hopefully for a duel.

"Scatter," Snape sneered at the kids, who promptly obeyed. He scrambled to get up, but James prodded him, making him stay down.

"Explain why you tried to curse Lily Evans," James ordered. The words seemed to contain a quiet power.

"Lily Evans? What's she got to do with you, Potter?" Snape sat up, and James didn't push him down again.

"She's my friend, Snivelly, which is more than you can say about anyone." Menacingly, he pointed his wand at Snape's throat. "Explain."

Just then, Sirius came running around, panting, and laid a hand of warning on James' shoulder. "You'll have to forgive my friend, Snivellous," he said calmly, giving James the shadow of a wink. "He's just jealous of you."

Wary and expecting some sort of ill-conceived plan, Snape looked at them sharply. "Jealous of what?"

"You mean you don't know?" James asked, feigning shock.

"Know what?" Snape snapped.

"I guess he really doesn't know," Sirius murmured to James, who shook his head gravely.

"We should tell him," James decided.

"Tell me what?" Snape was thoroughly peeved by now, and he suspected even more strongly that they were playing with him.

"Lily's in love with you," Sirius told him, earnesty in his every expression.

Something that almost looked like hope sparked in Snape's eyes, but was quickly extinguished by his better judgment. His right hand closed around his want, slowly, carefully, but James spotted him.

"Petrificus totalus!" he exclaimed, and Severus' body went ramrod straight as it keeled over. His black, angry eyes stared directly at James, full of hatred. James leaned over him. "Are you going to play nice? We're trying to jump start your love life here."

"The least you could do is show a little appreciation, mate," Sirius added.

Snape continued to stare them down. Of course, there really wasn't much else he could do. James realized, however, that there was more to his stare than the gaze of an eye. "No need for legilimency, Snivelly. We're not lying."

Despite James' insistence, Snape continued to attempt to penetrate his mind, unsuccessfully. Sirius chuckled. "Are you done?"

Snape turned his cold eye to Sirius, who chose to let the Slytherin into his mind. Sirius focused his thoughts on the recent potions project they'd been assigned, and the way Lily laughed at nearly everything Snape had to say. He did his best, as well, to keep his distaste as hidden as possible. With a rather avian grin, he undid the body-bind curse, allowing Snape to sit up.

"If you're lying," Snape admitted grudgingly, "you're good at it. I wouldn't put it past either of you." Still, a wistful gaze across the lake earned him a timid smile from Miss Evans, and James was rather certain that Snape was blushing. The redness in his cheeks, however, could have also been from the alternating splotches of red still receeding from his fruitless attempts at legilimency. It was difficult to say.

"What are you waiting for?" Sirius asked Snape. "Go ask her out."

Snape stood, and gave the Gryffindor duo a look so frightening, James was rather relieved that looks couldn't kill. "I still have my dignity, though you continually attempt to diminish it," Snape said, with a tone of false, deadly calm. "Leave. You have no further business here."

"Whatever," James replied with a casual shrug.

"Just remember. . ." Sirius advised, "she loves you. So don't be afraid to take your chance. . .while it's there."


	4. Snape's Move

**CHAPTER FOUR**

_Snape's Move_

"Lily?" Snape whispered, standing much closer to her than he ever had in his life. "Could I speak to you for a moment?"

Surprised at his gentle request and the absence of the word "mudblood," she agreed, to appease her curiosity. "Um. . .yeah, okay. Sure." Together, they wandered into a far corner of the dungeon outside potions.

"Lily. . ." he crooned, softly, sweetly, even what some would consider lovingly, "will you go out with me?"

Dead beats of silence throbbed in Snape's ears as he waited, patiently but anxiously, for her reply.

James and Sirius, in the _other_ far corner of the dungeon, under James' Invisibility Cloak, were also waiting for her answer. "You know," Sirius whispered to his friend, "he's not doing bad. She may even say yes."

James made a noise somehow halfway between a whine and a growl and fixed his attention to Lily. He nearly fainted when he heard what she said.

"Yeah, okay," Lily said, her green eyes twinkling in the dim light. She smiled at Snape. "I'd like that."

James spat more than a few expletives under his breath, but Sirius only sniggered.

"What's so funny?" James demanded, watching Lily and Snape leave, hand in hand.

"What happens when they get married? Can you see their kids?" He sniggered again.

"SHE WON'T MARRY HIM!" James thundered, throwing off the Cloak and running into the hallway.

"Hold up, mate," Sirius shouted, "I want to see their first date before he break them up."

"_Why?_" James demanded.

"For the funny, of course," Sirius replied. When James glared at him, he added, "Even you have to admit, that'll be hilarious."


	5. Peter's Agony

**CHAPTER FIVE**

_Peter's Agony_

"Severus, where are we going?" Lily demanded, though her giggling reduced the effect of her request.

"Be patient, we'll be there soon," he replied, casting a glance at her, still disbelieving his good fortune. Lily Evans wanted him, had denied James Potter and all his annoying charms to be with quiet, plain, lanky Severus. _It's insane_, he thought, _to think that anything this sweet could lead to anything but harm. But, for now, it feels good._ His inner ramblings led them to Le Baton, the only sit-down, black-robe dinner affair in Hogsmeade. It had taken nearly all of his savings to afford the reservation for that evening, but he knew it had to be perfect. Everything had to be perfect for Lily.

Lily deserved only the best.

"We're here," he told her, and smiled inwardly when Lily's green eyes shone with excitement.

"This is where we're eating? Oh, Severus, I couldn't possibly. . .I'm not dressed for it. . .it must have cost a fortune!"

"It wasn't much," he lied, but Lily shook her head.

"Do you expect me to believe that? I've heard about this place, it's supposed to be very high-end. Oh, thank you!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around Snape's scrawny frame. Severus stiffened slightly at her touch, but soon relaxed and patted her on the back awkwardly.

"You're welcome." He checked his watch habitually, and realized they were running behind. "We're late! Come on!"

They rushed inside, chuckling and joking, vainly trying to make their reservation.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Wormtail! Are you dressed yet?" Sirius yelled at Peter, who was still holed up in his closet, refusing to come out.

"Do I really have to wear it?" he whined plaintively.

"Does he?" James muttered.

Sirius grinned. "Not really," he replied to James, but to Peter, he called, "Do you want the plan to work? Do you want Lily to wind up with Snivellous?"

"No!" Peter squeaked, and the door cracked open. "But, Sirius-"

"No time! We're running late! Yeesh!" And Sirius dragged Peter out of the closet, who looked rather dashing in his powder blue cocktail dress. "You look lovely, darling," he chortled.

"Very flattering," James added, throwing on his Invisibility Cloak and heading for the staircase. "Come on, turtledoves, we're already behind."

The three boys set off for the statue of the one-eyed witch, and Hogsmeade.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Soft candlelight cast shadows across the table, and Lily's face was thrown into just the right light. Even Severus felt that he could forget who he was, where he came from, and allow himself to fall in love.

If such an emotion even existed, which he seriously doubted. "Are you enjoying yourself, Lily?" he asked politely, and perhaps too formally.

"Very much, Severus," she replied, covering his hand with hers. Maybe he wasn't being too formal, after all.

For a moment, everything was perfect, but something Snape saw across the room considerably darkened his mood.

Why on earth were Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew at Le Baton? And _why_ was Peter wearing that dress?

Whatever their intentions were, Severus knew they weren't benign. "Son of a horned toad. . ." he muttered darkly, his eyes losing the shine that Lily's affection had brought to them.

"What's wrong?" Lily asked shrewdly, her kindness and concern enveloping him.

He knew he couldn't let her evening be ruined by the presence of those imbeciles. "Nothing, dear," he replied, the pet name rolling easily off his tongue, feeling completely, one-hundred percent natural.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Do stop fidgeting, Wormtail, it's not becoming," Sirius scolded.

"I can't help it! This skirt keeps riding up on me! And these panties. . ." He squirmed in his seat in a futile attempt to make himself comfortable.

"Do you honestly think a woman would squirm if her panties pinched a bit? No, she would not! She would sit still, in pain but retaining her dignity! Are you a woman, Wormtail, or are you a squirming rat?"

"I'm a woman!" Peter protested, and stopped moving.

"Good, because here come our desserts."

Peter was good, and remained still, right up until the waiter approached their table, when a sudden twitch seized him. At, of course, the completely wrong time. His leg spasm tripped the pudding-laid waiter, sending him flying into Lily Evans.

Dripping with chocolate, she shrieked and stood up suddenly. "What is the matter with you?" she demanded of the apologizing waiter.

"I'm terribly sorry, madam, please, don't be angry," the waiter pleaded, but Lily was looking past him now, her eyes boring into-

-Sirius.

"Sirius Black! What are you doing here?" she thundered, raising up her own bowl of pudding and sending it at him. Sadly, she missed, and the poor wizard who got hit with it sent his own dessert at Severus, whom he thought had thrown it in the first place. He missed, as well, hitting something that ought to have been nothing, and which loudly exclaimed, "Ow!"

The bowl had tugged away his Cloak, revealing James Potter.

Lily was beside herself. "What are you doing here? You can't possibly tell me it was a date, I can't think of a single person who'd date you."

"I was spying on you," James admitted meekly, deciding that honesty was the best policy. "I'm sorry."

"No, you're not! You're sorry you got caught!" Lily screamed, and ran out of the restaurant.

Snape shot James a look of the deepest contempt, and perhaps a bit of gloating, and went after Lily.

In the meelee, Sirius and Peter had slipped out.

"My life is over," James proclaimed darkly.


	6. Lily's Kiss

**CHAPTER SIX**

_Lily's Kiss_

"Lily, please! Lily!" Snape called out to her, but she was still moving away, tearing at her chocolate-stained robes and sobbing. "Where are you going?"

"Back to Hogwarts. Or I'll wait by the carriages until everyone else shows up. I just want to be alone right now."

"Are you mad at me?" Severus asked timidly, sweetly, innocently.

She turned to look at him. Despite her pudding-layered hair and robes, and her eyes, bloodshot from crying, or maybe even because of her current imperfections, she was the most strikingly beautiful witch he'd ever seen. "No, Severus, I'm not mad at you," she replied, softly, lovingly.

For a moment, they were frozen in time, a warm spring breeze playing about them, the traffic of Hogsmeade milling around, green eyes and her bright red hair, onyx eyes and ebony tresses. Their gaze was frantic and hungry as they strove to retain the image of each other in the evening light.

And then the moment was gone, and Lily somehow found herself moving towards him, and he was opening his arms to her, holding her more tenderly than he'd ever have thought possible, and she laid her head on his chest, comfortable.

"I'm sorry, Severus," she breathed softly, warming against him with every word. "I'm sorry that I ruined our dinner."

"You didn't," he replied, enjoying the feel of her body cradled in his arms, "That dolt Potter and his dolt friends did."

Lily looked up at him. "Does the entire evening have to be ruined now, because of that?" she asked, sounding to him like a child begging not to leave a toy store.

"No," he said, startled, "We could go to Honeydukes, or ma-"

Reaching up to meet him, Lily placed her lips tentatively over his, waiting for his response before she carried their kiss any farther. His soft reply was all the encouragement she needed, and she deepened the kiss slowly, letting him taste her lips and enjoying the surprisingly pleasant taste of his.

It was Severus' first kiss.


	7. James' Despair

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

_James' Despair_

"_Nobody knows the trouble I've seen. . .nobody knows my sorrow. . ._" James moaned, and took another pull at the Firewhiskey bottle.

"Shut up, I've got a headache," Sirius groaned, throwing a pillow at James' head.

"Ow," James weakly exclaimed, but the pillow hadn't touched him.

"We've got to do something about you, mate," Sirius said, struggling to sit upright. "We can't hide in this dormitory forever."

"Why not?" James whined, with yet another pull at the Firewhiskey. "There's no point to life anymore."

Sirius stared at him blankly. "You're really hung up on losing her, aren't you?"

"Yes," James replied, sitting up a little in his chair.

"But she hated you," Sirius pointed out, as all best friends should.

"She didn't hate me then!" Another drink. "She does now." Drink.

"You need to mind your consumption," Sirius noted. "How will she ever love you if you're dead?"

"You think this is a joke? That my current endless spiralling despair is funny? Well, it's not." With his final sip, the bottle was as empty as James felt. "Stupid prank. . ." Suddenly, he realized what had been in front of him all along. It was his fault. "I did this! We did this!" Angry in his revalation, he glared at Sirius. "You did this to me!" With a moan of complete despondency, he sank into the armchair and covered his face with his hands.

Sirius was unwilling to leave him like that, but they did have classes. Gently, he prodded the black-robed mass that had been James. "Are you coming to class?" he asked.

"Never!" James proclaimed, then went back to his sullen inner torment.

"Okay. . .see you at lunch." Sirius turned to leave.

"Just bring me up something," James muttered.

Sirius stopped. "You're not coming to lunch, either? James, I-"

"I know what's best for me. And what's best right now is for me to stay as far away from. . .from. . ._Snily_. . .as possible."

"'Snily'?"

James sighed. "It's a contraction of Snape and Lily. Snily."

Sirius stared at him, then grabbed the empty Firewhiskey bottle. "No more for you today."

James cast his bloodshot eyes up at Sirius. "Please?" And then he passed out.

"Sleep tight, James," Sirius murmured as he left the dormitory.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Is he still up there?" Remus whispered to Sirius during potions.

Sirius nodded. "Sadly, and a right state he's in, too. Drunk and crying. Misses Lily something terrible."

"But they weren't together!" Remus pointed out, slicing his mandrake roots finely before adding them to his cauldron.

"James felt that eventually she would change her mind. Now he knows she won't." He, too, was cutting roots, though not with the precision of his friend. "Even I feel bad for him, and that's saying something."

"Considering that you have no compassion for human beings whatsoever," Remus said, accepting the fact with disdain.

"Exactly!" Sirius replied, though a bit too loudly, earning him a pointed look from Professor Slughorn. "We have to do something about it, and fast. I can skip charms, nothing but rubbish lately." And once again, Slughorn gave him a look that was completely ignored by Sirius.

"What is it exactly that you suggest we do?" Remus asked warily.

"That's the thing, I don't know yet!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Mr. Black," Slughorn addressed, clearly pained that this had become necessary.

"Yes?" Sirius replied graciously.

"Please. A dull roar would do just fine," Slughorn jested in an attempt to make the situation more comfortable.

Sirius flashed his famous smile and winked at the professor. "But, of course," he agreed, then turned his attention back to Remus. "Do you have anything?" he asked the prefect, so desperate for a plan that he turned to the only one of the four unlikely to come up with something good.

"Not really," Remus admitted.

"There has to be something. . ." Sirius muttered, but the consumption of his energy was taken by the potion, and an idea did not even come close to registering in him until the end of class.

"Mr. Black? Mr. Lupin? Could I see you for a moment?" Slughorn requested at the end. Both boys approached Slughorn's desk. He handed Sirius a note. "Please, give that to Mr. Potter. It is a sad necessity, I'm afraid."

Sirius smiled again. "Of course." As he left the dungeon, he, of course, opened the envelope clearly marked "private."

Remus groaned. "Oh, how did I konw you were going to do that?"

But Sirius only grinned. "Bingo."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Sirius threw back the curtains and pulled back James' blanket. "Up," he commanded.

"Go away," James said half-heartedly. "I'm not done wallowing yet."

"Oh, yes, you are. You have remedial potions tonight," Sirius replied.

"Wonderful," James groaned. He covered his eyes with his hands. "When?"

The other Gryffindor checked his watch. "In about ten minutes."

James' groan deepened. "With Slughorn?"

"No." Sirius gave James a look of the deepest sympathy. "With Lily Evans."

At the mention of her name, James shot up in his bed. "You've got to be kidding me." When Sirius didn't smile or show any signs of joking, James looked vaguely panicked. "Ten minutes?! Lily Evans?!" He jumped from his bed and began pacing, tearing at his hair with his hands. "What the hell should I wear?"

Sirius grabbed a hold of James' shoulder and shoved some Hogwarts school robes in his arms. "Try your uniform."


	8. Snape's Savior

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

_Snape's Savior_

"Welcome to Remedial Potions!" Slughorn's booming voice echoed around the nearly empty dungeon. "As you know, you are here either because of a lack of skill or because a profound number of absences has put you behind your peers." He smiled. "I am here to help, but please first rely on the tutors - Mr. Severus Snape, potions extraordinare - and Ms. Lily Evans, the best student I've taught Mr. Tom Riddle himself! They are here to help you as much as possible, and only if they find themselves beyond their skill should I be brought into the situation. Understood? Fabulous!" And he scurried off.

Peter and James set to work. "You know, Lily," James said conversationally, "Snape only asked you out because we told him you liked him. Otherwise, you'd never have known."

A flash of surprise flickered across her face, but quickly died. "Yes, I figured it was something to that extent. He's sweet, James," she said suddenly, shocking James into dumping all of his wolfsbane into the potion. Thankfully, it didn't show any outward signs of being messed up.

"Who's sweet?" James feigned innocence.

"Severus. He's patient. And he hates you, you know. Though I'm sure he's thankful for the chance you gave him - to some level." Lily smiled patiently at James and his potion skills. "Counterclockwise turns, James. Please pay attention."

"What is he thankful for? You can't possibly really like him."

Despite herself, Lily prickled defensively. "Why can't I? Because he doesn't play Quidditch or tussle his hair or behave like a pompous jerk? Did it ever occur to you that that's why I didn't want to be with you?"

"No, it didn't occur to me, or I would have changed my behaviors! And I didn't think you would forget that only a week ago, every other word out of his mouth was mudblood! How could you possibly have feelings for someone who treats you like that?"

"How would you know how he treats me? Are you with us on our dates?" Her anger faltered for a minute, then hardened as she realized something. "Yes, you are," she answered her own question. "And what did you see, James, when you were spying on us?"

"He was being kind to you," James conceded.

"Exactly," Lily agreed, and lapsed into frustrated silence. "Add your lacewing flies," she counseled.

"Did you kiss him?" James asked suddenly.

Her green eyes flashed defiantly. "Yes."

"Did you kiss him or did-"

"I kissed him," Lily cut him off. When James opened his mouth, she said immediately, "No, we didn't go any farther than that. Severus is a gentleman." Once again, silence ruled the dungeon. "Your potion's finished," she said suddenly, and James jumped.

"Really?"

"We only made an Irritation Solution, James," Lily remind him.

"Right." He smiled. "I'm thirsty. Are you guys thirsty over there?" he called to Peter and Snape. Peter nodded enthusiastically. Snape looked to Lily, who smiled, and then gave a curt nod. "Right, then. I'm off to procure refreshment." He left, and no one saw him slip the vial of Irritation Solution in his pocket.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

James was seething, wallowing, pondering. What the hell did she mean when she said Snape was "sweeter" than him? He's a "gentleman"? "Patient"? None of the adjectives fit the Snape he knew.

The kitchens weren't far from the dungeons, and James easily snagged butterbeers and crisps for the small remedial party. He also easily slipped the botched Irritation Solution into Snape's bottle. "Let's see how sweet you are covered in oozing sores," James snickered. Somewhere deep inside him, he felt a twinge of pity for Snape, but quickly repressed it. "It's not going to kill him. Peter didn't die when he got covered in it."

_But Peter didn't drink it_, the little voice in his head reminded him, sounding suspiciously like Remus. He repressed that, too, though with a touch of concern for his mental sanity.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Cheers," James toasted, tipping his bottle in Snape's direction.

Snape eyed it cautiously, found nothing wrong with it, and took a sip. The butterbeer seared his throat going down, more than it should. Somehow, his throat felt constricted, and his stomach was in turmoil, roiling with heat, threatening regurgitation. But the constriction in his esophagus would never allow the bile to rise to his mouth. _I'm going to die_, Snape thought forlornly, and for the first time in his life the prospect was not inviting. His body stiffened and jerked, and dry retching convulsions shook him. The pain nearly became unbearable, burning white hot, he was on fire, and then he welcomed the softness of unconsciousness, if only to escape the pain.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"What did you do?" Lily shrieked at James, hammering him with her fists in a blind rage. "What the hell did you do to him?"

James couldn't find the words to describe what had happened. Instead, he fed an instruction to Peter. "Fetch Professor Slughorn." Peter whimpered and scurried off. Lily looked at him expectantly, no longer hitting him. Tears flowed freely from her vibrant grass-green eyes. "I put Irritation Solution in his butterbeer," James admitted.

"Are you aware of how badly you botched that potion?!" she shouted, then scurried to the store cupboard. Rummaging frantically, she found what she was looking for and stuffed it down Snape's throat. Instantly, he coughed and opened his eyes weakly.

"Thank you," he murmured, and then was gone again, though his expression was now restful and contented.

"Good heavens!" Slughorn exclaimed, lifting Snape's innate body with a muttered spell. "Let's get him to the hospital wing, Mr. Pettigrew. Ms. Evans, please help Mr. Potter clean up the dungeon and put the cauldrons away." Then he and Peter rushed (as much as Slughorn could, anyway) down the hall and out of sight.

"Did you do it on purpose?" Lily asked James, quiet steel and distance in her voice. "Did you mean to poison him?"

"No! I wanted him to break out in embarrassing boils, not die!" James shouted, angered by her insistence that the whole thing was on purpose. It wasn't. Only part of it was on purpose. "Even if he had died, it isn't like anyone would care."

Lily looked at him, speechless in her fury. Finding words, she said, "I'd care." And she left huffily.

James was now feeling the familiar mind-numbing despair creep in again. "What did I say?" he called to no one.


	9. Lily's Serenity

**CHAPTER NINE**

_Lily's Serenity_

"How're you feeling, Severus?" Lily asked gently. It was the next day, and Snape had just regained a steady consciousness. Lily had sat with him nearly all night.

"Better," he replied, though that didn't say much. Anything was better than the threshhold of death.

Lily reached for his hand in almost absentminded nature, smiling weakly at him. Her voice shook when she spoke. "Madam Pomfrey kept saying you would be okay, but I didn't believe her. I was so scared to lose you. I've never been so afraid in my life."

"I knew you were here," he whispered, stroking her thumb in lazy circles. "I saw your hair last night. It gave me hope."

Lily chuckled, and punched his arm with a pillow. "Now, that is too sappy. Even for me."

"It may be sappy, but it's true. You saved my life."

"It was just a bezoar," she protested. "It wasn't that difficult to think of." Her grin persisted as she saw him for what felt like the first time. Only nine days earlier, his cheeks had been sallow, his eyes cold and empty, and a smile rarely graced his countenance. Not to mention his hair, which had hung lank and unwashed, covering his face. Now, his skin was beginning to acquire a more healthy glow from spending time outside with Lily, and his eyes were bright and cheery. Now, his black hair had a shine to it that made him feel like a whole new person to her, and he laughed frequently. As she looked at him, she knew.

"You saved my life in more ways than one, Lily," he told her, and pulled her close to him, stroking her hair and kissing her. "And I'll never be able to repay you."

He already had. Severus had saved her from James Potter.

**THE END.**

**_E/N:_** _So? What did you think of my first Snily fic? I really enjoyed this pairing, and depending on the feedback I may write some more. But no matter what you thought of it, please review. It's very constructive and reinforcing to even get a "Wow! Really good! Post more!" type of thing, and I happen to be a sucker for flattery. Maybe there'll be cookies involved._

_If you read and enjoyed this, perhaps you'll like my other project, (I think of it as my baby) entitled "The Noble Emotions." The pairing theme is Draco/Harry, but there's also some Draco/Pansy for those who don't like slash and some Draco/Blaise Zabini for those who don't like Harry. The style is drastically different from what I have here, it's much more serious, but it's an easy and enjoyable read (I think). I hate to advertise myself, but if I were you I wouldn't want to miss this one._

_Thanks for listening to me ramble, and until later, I will remain FaYtHeInTrAnSiT._


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